ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, nanotechnology has become a very rapidly growing eld with everexpanding areas of application; thus, understanding the implications of nanomaterials for human health is important, more so now than ever. With tremendous economic impacts, which are projected to increase, nanomaterials are utilized in many commonly used materials such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and tennis balls. To continue reaping the benets of nanotechnology, it is necessary to understand the risks and returns of its application. Nanotechnology is a unique eld because, when operating on a nanoscale size, many materials begin to exhibit different properties due to higher involvement of van der Waal’s forces, hydrophobic interactions, and induced dipole forces that are not as important on a physical scale. This has direct implications in the human body, because, as familiar as we are with gross anatomy and physiology, nanoparticles experience a multitude of
9.1 Are Nanoparticles Safe for Human Health? ......................................................................... 175 9.1.1 Predicting and Identifying Health Risks .................................................................. 176
9.2 Toxicokinetics in the Body ................................................................................................... 180 9.2.1 Role of the Route of Exposure in Toxicity................................................................ 180 9.2.2 Role of Specic Nanoparticle Characteristics in Determining Health Effects ........ 182 9.2.3 Nanoparticle Biointeractions and Mechanisms of Toxicity ...................................... 184 9.2.4 Design Biosafety ....................................................................................................... 189
9.3 Health Effects by Category ................................................................................................... 190 9.3.1 Health Effects of Fullerenes ..................................................................................... 190 9.3.2 Health Effects of Carbon Nanotubes ........................................................................ 191 9.3.3 Health Effects of Inorganic Nanoparticles ............................................................... 192 9.3.4 Health Effects of Organic Nanoparticles .................................................................. 193 9.3.5 Health Effects of Quantum Dots .............................................................................. 194
9.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 194 9.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 195 References ...................................................................................................................................... 195
specic biointeractions with cell membranes, proteins, and other biological uid compounds, which may alter their behavior and properties based on the composition of the coating acquired in the biological environment. Furthermore, localization of the nanoparticles is not always straightforward due to their high mobility and ability to penetrate defense systems and translocate from the original port of entry. This phenomenon can be benecial in the delivery of medicines, but may also be potentially very detrimental to health when exposure to nanomaterials is not intentional or when the dosage and parameters of the nanoparticles, intended for medical use, are not appropriately designed.
